Wire emulation through a network for propagation of failure information

Abstract

An optical transponder, system, method, and program wherein the transponder monitors for at least one of a failure or an alarm signal. In response to detecting a failure or alarm signal (communication), the transponder performs at least one of a predetermined action and propagating an alarm communication to a network, based on a configuration property. The transponder can have a configuration property specifying a predetermined action for shutting off a laser if an alarm signal indicating a network failure is detected. As an example, some transponders can be configured to either provide an alarm communication, and/or shut off a laser, depending upon which communication interface detects a network failure or receives an alarm signal. Also, other transponders can be configured to propagate existing alarm communications, without generating new alarm communications or shutting off lasers. In this manner, the number of alarm signals and laser shut offs can be reduced when a network failure is propagated through the network.

1. An optical transponder that can communicate with a network, comprising:
 at least one communication interface coupled to the network, the at least one communication interface including plural interfaces; 
 a memory storing instructions and at least one configuration property; and 
 a processor, operable under the control of the instructions, and being responsive to a failure or alarm signal detected through any of the interfaces, by performing at least one of a predetermined action and providing an alarm communication through the at least one communication interface, based on the configuration property and depending on which specific interface the failure or alarm signal is detected through, to thus distinguish between a failure or alarm signal detected by way of one interface versus another interface, wherein the configuration property specifies at least one of the providing and the predetermined action. 
 
   
   
     2. The transponder according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action includes at least one of a default action and a configurable action. 
   
   
     3. The transponder according to  claim 2 , wherein the default action includes an action defined by a network protocol. 
   
   
     4. The transponder according to  claim 1 , wherein the plural interfaces comprise a first communication interface and a second communication interface. 
   
   
     5. The transponder according to  claim 4 , wherein the first communication interface and the second communication interface are optical communication interfaces. 
   
   
     6. The transponder according to  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the optical communication interfaces comprises at least one of an optical transmitter unit and an optical receiver unit. 
   
   
     7. The transponder according to  claim 6 , wherein the optical transmitter unit comprises a laser. 
   
   
     8. The transponder according to  claim 1 , wherein the plural interfaces include first and second communication interfaces, the predetermined action includes a configurable action, and the configurable action includes at least one of providing an alarm from the transponder if a failure or alarm signal is detected by way of the first communication interface, and shutting off a laser if a failure or alarm signal is detected by way of the second communication interface. 
   
   
     9. A method of operating an optical transponder that can communicate with a network, the transponder having plural communication interfaces, the method comprising:
 monitoring the communication interfaces for at least one of a failure or an alarm signal; and 
 in response to detecting a failure or alarm signal through any communication interface, performing at least one of a predetermined action and providing an alarm communication to the network, based on a configuration property and depending on which specific communication interface the failure or alarm signal is detected through, to thus distinguish between a failure or alarm signal detected by way of one communication interface versus another communication interface, wherein the configuration property specifies at least one of the providing and the predetermined action. 
 
   
   
     10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the predetermined action includes at least one of a default action and a configurable action. 
   
   
     11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the default action includes an action defined by a network protocol. 
   
   
     12. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the configurable action includes at least one of providing an alarm from the transponder if a failure or an alarm signal is detected at a first one of the communication interfaces of the transponder, and shutting off a laser if a failure or an alarm signal is detected at a second one of the communication interfaces of the transponder. 
   
   
     13. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the configuration property specifies at least one of a configurable action value for performing a configurable action, a “not applicable ”value for performing a default action, or a propagation value for providing an alarm communication. 
   
   
     14. An optical communication system, comprising:
 a plurality of interconnected optical transponders, each transponder configured to monitor for at least one of a failure or an alarm signal being detected by way of at least one communication interface of the transponder, and being responsive to detecting at least one of the failure or alarm signal by performing at least one of a predetermined action and providing an alarm communication through the at least one communication interface towards another transponder, based on a configuration property and depending on a specific location of the transponder in the system, to thus distinguish between a failure or alarm signal detected by that transponder versus by another one of the transponders, wherein the configuration property specifies at least one of the providing and the predetermined action. 
 
   
   
     15. The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined action includes at least one of a default action and a configurable action. 
   
   
     16. The system according to  claim 14 , wherein the transponders comprise at least one first transponder associated with a regeneration node and at least one second transponder associated with an end node,
 wherein the at least one first transponder responds to detecting at least one of the failure or alarm signal by providing the alarm communication, 
 wherein the at least one second transponder responds to detecting at least one of the failure or alarm signal by performing the predetermined action, and wherein the predetermined action includes at least one of providing an alarm and shutting off a laser. 
 
   
   
     17. Computer-executable program instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer-executable program instructions executable to perform a method of operating an optical transponder that can communicate with a network, the transponder having plural communication interfaces, the method comprising:
 monitoring the communication interfaces for at least one of a failure and an alarm signal; and 
 in response to detecting a failure or alarm signal through any communication interface, performing at least one of a predetermined action and providing an alarm communication to the network, based on a configuration property and depending on which specific communication interface the failure or alarm signal is detected through, to thus distinguish between a failure or alarm signal detected by way of one communication interface versus another communication interface, wherein the configuration property specifies at least one of the providing and the predetermined action.